Handle-holding gage



(No Model.)

No. 558,333. Patented Apr; 14, 1896.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

Josnrn A. Wonk, or SPRINGFIELD, onto.

HANDLE-HOLDING GAGE. 7

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,333, dated April14, 1896.

Application filed September 23, 1895. Serial No. 563,352. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. WVORK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Handle-Holding Gages, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in handleholding gages designed especially for use in connection withburial-caskets and coffins.

In the manufacture of coffins and burialcaskets an unnecessaryexpenditure of time and labor is involved in locating the handles at theproper place and holding them at such place while being permanentlyfastened to the structure. They must all be in exact line, and thereforeshould be attached at the same distance from the top or bottom of thecoffin or casket. More or less time is consumed in measuring with thefoot-rule for each clip of each handle, so as to bring all the handleson the same line and so as to make each handle stand horizontally. Theobject of my invention is to do away with these time-consumingmeasurements, and also to avoid the inconvenience incident to holdingthe handles in place while fastening their clips to the cofiins orcaskets. This is handwork, and it is an important desideratum to lessenor avoid it in the manufacture of large numbers of cotiins or casketsbecause the time and laborthus involved amount to a large expense in ayears business.

My invention therefore consists in whatI term a handle-holding gage, andit is constructed, essentially, of gages adapted to slide along theupper and lower or top and bottom edges of the casket or coffin, of arod which connects these gages together, and of a clamp or holdercomposed of adjustable parts mounted on said rod and adapted to embraceand hold the handle while it is being fastened the fastening devicepassing through the clips at each side of the handle-arms. Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the application of the device to that form ofhandle in which the fastening devices pass through the plates under thehandle-arms. Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the form and arrangementillustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the form andarrangement illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail face view of thede vice on a larger scale Fig. 6, a detail side elevation, and Fig. 7 adetail view of one of the gage-plates-in side elevation.

The letter A designates a burial-casket or coffin of the usual or anyapproved type or pattern, and the letter B one type of handle whereinthe clips or plates D have the fastening devices or screws E at eachside of the handle-arms F, and are therefore readily accessible when thehandle-arms are hanging down. When this form of handle is to be applied,the hand-bar G and arms F are usually allowed to hang down, and theholder of the gage is adjusted to suit that position of the parts, asshown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The letter 11 designates the other type of handle, in which the clips orplates I have their fastening devices or screws J under the arms F,which requires the arms to be held out in a horizontal or nearlyhorizontal position while the fastening devices are being in serted.When this form of handle is being applied, the holder of the gage isadjusted as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Describing now my improved handle-holding gage, it will be seen that itconsists of gage-plates 2 and 3 of the form shown and adapted to fitagainst the bottom and top edges of the coffin or burial-casket and tobe moved along the same. The rod 4 is fixedly connected with the plate 2and has the plate 3 slidingly fitted to it, and a set-screw 5, carriedby the latter plate, is used to fix it at the proper place on the rod.The holder proper consists of double arms 6 and 7, both slidinglymounted on the rod 4 and each having a set-screw 8, by which it is heldto adjusted positions. These arms are turned off to one side, so thattheir clamping ends or surfaces 9 will stand out of line with the rod 4to accommodate the handle-bar G of the handle proper. When the form ofhandle shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is to be held in place, the arms 6 and 7are turn ed so that they will extend inward from the rod; but when theform of handles shown in Figs. 2 and 4 is to be held these arms 6 and 7are turned so as to extend outward from the bar &. These two positionsare clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will now be seen that when handles are to be applied to a largenumber of caskets the gage-plates are adjusted to fit the caskets, andthe holder proper is also adjusted to the place on the rod 4 and to theposition required by the location and the kind of handle to be used.This one adjustment of the device serves for all of the handles to beapplied to all of the caskets of like size. Every handle is thereforereadily placed and held at the same relative distance from the top orbottom of the casket or coffin, and the hand-bar of every handle is heldin a horizontal position during the operation of inserting the screws orfastening devices.

The utility of the device and its value as a commercial article I haveestablished by the actual manufacture and sale of the same in a regularcommercial way, and the statements herein made as to the convenience andeconomy incident to its use are based upon actual practical andcommercial experience.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. As a new article ofmanufacture, a handle-holdin g gage consisting of gage-plates 2 and 3and a connecting and sustaining rod 4 fixed to the plate 2, the otherplate being adjustable on the rod to and from the plate 2, and having afastening device, a holder proper consisting of separate arms 6 and 7slidingly mounted on said rod 4 and between said plates 2 and 3, andhaving fastening devices, the arms being extended to one side of the rodat and being revoluble on the rod, so as to bring their opposingsurfaces inside or outside of the rod, according to the adjustment ofthe arms.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a bandle-holding gage consisting ofgage -plates adapted to embrace the top and bottom edges of the casketor cofiin; a rod fixed to one plate and on which the other is adjustableto and from,the first-named plate, a set-screw for the adjustable plate,a holder proper consisting of two double arms each slidingly mounted onthe rod between the said plates and having a binding set-screw, the armsbeing extended to one side of the rod to bring their holdingsurfaeesinside or outside of it, said arms being also curved toward each other.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH A. YORK. \Vitnesses OLIVER II. MILLER, XVARREN M. MoNAIn.

